This invention relates to a framework for a relatively large off-highway truck of the type having front wheels disposed on opposite sides of the engine and carried in offsetting, cantilevered relation from the opposite sides of the framework by a pair of independent wheel mounting struts. Trucks of the above type are extensively used in the earthmoving industry for hauling heavy loads in excess of 35 tons.
To provide transverse rigidity between the front wheels, prior frameworks have used a circular-shaped cross support, commonly referred to as "the horse collar," which extends in circumposing relationship about the engine. The horse collar carries the large moment forces caused by the cantilevered relation of the wheels to prevent torsional bending of the opposite main side rails of the framework.
However, the presence of such horse collar makes the engine extremely difficult to service and essentially impossible to remove without first removing a portion of the horse collar to permit the necessary access to the engine. As a result, the upper half of the horse collar is normally detachably mounted by bolts. In addition to making the cross support more complex, the bolted connections tend to weaken the structure.
Accessibility to the engine and other various serviceable components related thereto has been further complicated by the recent addition of roll-over protective structures by manufacturers to provide more adequate protection for the operators of such trucks. Prior roll-over protective structures also have been constructed so that they transmit high impact roll-over forces to localized areas of the main frame in a manner which may cause the failure or irreparable damage to the main frame.